A large dry bag holds your sleeping gear and tent,
making for a comfortable and dry experience even
in wet weather. Use a small backpacking tent to
save space in your pack.
Canoe Camping Basics
by Carl Haensel
Sitting beside a campfire along the Susquehanna River
as darkness fell behind the mountains, the decision to go
canoe camping seemed easy. A good day of paddling and
some excellent fishing highlighted our day, and more lay
in store for the next day. Two hours later, as a summer
thunderstorm rolled through camp, I questioned my
decision to camp out for the night. Thankfully, we were
prepared with rain gear. Our tent had a ground cloth to
keep out water, and our food was in a dry bag. The night
ended uneventfully, and we ended up having a great trip.
The key to a successful canoe camping trip is to be set up
to have a great time, and be prepared for the challenges of
Mother Nature.
28
photos by the author
Choosing a route
Start by planning your camping trip at home. If you’ve
never camped out of a canoe before, try an easy overnight
trip as a shakedown cruise. There are plenty of short trips
that can be made on Pennsylvania’s water trails as well as
much longer ones. Once you’ve got an idea of what works
for you, try a longer trip of multiple days. Look over maps
and routes and try to choose a couple of camping options
each day based on how far you plan to paddle. Make
sure to have a back-up plan in case a camping location is
already occupied or your route takes longer than planned.
Try to reach your campsite by mid-afternoon, so you’ve
got plenty of time to deal with other eventualities.
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • July/August 2010
www.fishandboat.com
How big is the kitchen sink?
While many people have car camped before, canoe
camping can be a new experience. There are quite a few
things that are not a viable option to bring along canoeing.
Large camping chairs, giant tents, cots and king-sized air
mattresses are all things that I have seen thrown in a canoe
going down the river. Toss in a few feather pillows and your
boat will be riding so low in the water that it may capsize
in the first riffle you reach. Instead, look to gear designed
for backpacking. If you wouldn’t want to carry it for a full
day on your back, don’t bring it along in a canoe either.
Remember, everything that you bring on board can get
wet. Simple fixes like bringing garbage bags to keep things
dry are not acceptable. You’ll need at least some small dry
bags to keep the important things—camera, wallet and cell
phone—out of the water and attached to the canoe. Even
better are some large dry bags to keep your tent, sleeping
equipment and food out of the water. If you don’t need to
portage around obstructions, bring along a small cooler or
a full-size camp stove.
The key to a
successful canoe
camping trip is to be
set up to have a great
time, and be prepared
for the challenges
of Mother Nature.
The short list
So, what do you really have to bring? Here are the things
that you shouldn’t leave the boat launch without on any
paddling trip, even if you’re not camping overnight.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Life jacket
Throw bag
Water
Rain jacket
Sunglasses
Cell phone
Spare clothes
Lighter
Sunscreen
Map of paddling route
The overnight list
When you’re headed out on a longer trip, use the list
on page 30 as a checklist for items you’ll likely want to
bring along in addition to the short list. Each trip will be
different; so all items may not be needed. You may want to
bring along additional items that are not listed here.
www.fishandboat.com
A lightweight canoe
makes for easy portaging
around rapids, dams and
other obstructions. The
portage yoke shown here
can be reversed into a
center seat for additional
boat capacity.
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • July/August 2010
29
Canoe
list
heck
C
g
n
i
p
Cam
ves
ddling glo
____ Pa
in gear
e water
____ Ra
r
a
e
g
g
use in th
r
fo
r
a
e
Paddlin
otw
le
____ Fo
tra padd
s
k
c
aper
a
____ Ex
p
_ Toilet p
portage
_
_
r
_
o
s
g
othpaste
a
b
h and to
s
ru
____ Dry
b
th
o
____ To
g gear
d sleepin
n
a
r
e
st aid kit
lt
e
Sh
____ Fir
cloth
d
n
u
soap
ro
g
t and
gradable
r)
____ Ten
d
__ Biode
a
_
p
_
or highe
d
n
a
(SPF 15
g bag
n
in
e
p
e
re
c
le
s
S
n
____
____ Su
ration
d prepa
o
fo
balm
d
n
a
____ Lip
Cooking
pellent
Insect re
d pack
_
o
_
o
_
F
_
_
_
__
oking kit
neous
____ Co
Miscella
r
e
lt
fi
ter
ket knife
es
____ Wa
___ Poc
_
re batteri
stove
t and spa
p
h
g
m
li
a
h
C
s
_
la
___
____ F
license
s
gear and
ve fuel
re
g
to
a
in
p
S
h
s
_
is
d
_
F
n
_
a
_
____
matches
ter proof
mpass
p
a
____ Wa
o
s
____ Co
le dish
b
a
d
ra
g
de
mera
____ Bio
g food
____ Ca
r hangin
fo
e
p
ro
r
a
____ Be
l items
Persona
thing
____ Clo
isor
t with a v
____ Ha
Safety and preparedness on the water
Safety on the water starts by having a fitted life jacket for
every occupant of your canoe. I always pack a throw bag as
well. Practice with it before your trip. A small first aid kit
of bandages, alcohol pads, gauze and antibiotic ointment
will take care of most of your minor spills. Always discuss
medical needs with all paddlers, and check to see if there
are specific health concerns. Keep your medical kit easily
accessible, and make sure it’s tethered to your boat.
Cooking, food and critters
Plan to bring a camping stove. You can’t always count on
dry firewood or a location where a campfire is appropriate
for cooking. A stove will yield more consistent results, and
you can even practice with some recipes at home before
your trip. Once your meal is done, clean up well away from
the water. The river or lake that you’re paddling is not your
kitchen sink. After cleaning up, it’s time to think about
unwanted visitors. Sometimes it’s a raccoon, an opossum
or even a bear that strolls into camp in the middle of the
30
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • July/August 2010
Water, a first aid kit, a throw bag, a hat, a dry bag and a pair
of paddling gloves are all vital items to have on your canoe
camping trip.
www.fishandboat.com
night. Most often, mice and chipmunks will try to help
themselves to your food. Avoid these issues by hanging
your food in a tree. Use two ropes, and make sure that
the food hangs at least 10 feet from the trunk of the tree
and 10 feet off the ground. Even this will sometimes not
dissuade determined chipmunks, but it will help. In the
morning, there’s nothing worse than finding a hole chewed
in your dry bag. Regardless of how you store your food,
make sure not to bring it into your tent with you. This
holds true for any toiletries that you choose to bring on
your trip. Also, camping on an island does not keep the
animals from coming to you. Make sure to practice leave
no trace camping ethics. Leave each campsite cleaner than
you found it, and pack all of your trash out with you in
your canoe. Don’t burn trash in any campfire, particularly
plastic and metal items.
When going to sleep for the evening or
leaving camp, hang your food pack in
a tree to avoid having animals get into
your food.
Learning more
If you’re interested in camping along Pennsylvania’s
rivers and lakes, there’s a lot of great information
available. Check out the official water trails on the
Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission’s website at
www.fishandboat.com for maps. Read Keystone Canoeing
by Ed Gertler to start exploring some of the routes you may
take before heading out on the water. Learn more about leave
no trace and camping ethics at www.dcnr.state.pa.us and at
www.lnt.org.
There are quite a
few things that are
not a viable option
to bring along
canoeing. Look to
A small, lightweight backpacking
stove is optimal for use when
canoe camping. This nesting
cook set has a carrying case that
doubles as a washbasin to save
space and allow you to wash
dishes away from the water.
gear designed
for backpacking.
When possible, always use a designated
location for a campfire. Make sure all fires are
dead out before going to sleep for the evening
or leaving your campsite.
www.fishandboat.com
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • July/August 2010
31